The Effects of Time
by Quills of Time
Summary: Draco is a single parent trying to raise his son alone.  However, they both have trouble coping with Astoria's death... until they run into Hermione Granger.
1. Week One

**Week One**

**A/N: **Yup, these chapters are gonna be short. This little Dramione flick started off as a oneshot, actually, but because the series of meetings between them grew to semi-chapter lengths, so to speak, I figured I'd post them seperately. So, read and comment and enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Nope, Draco and Hermione not mine. Neither are any other characters you might recognize - but the plot is!

_**Nobody can go back and make a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending**_

_**~Maria Robinson**_

Hermione Granger walked down the path, humming to herself. This was one of her favourite routes home – even though she could easily Apparate or floo to her small London flat from the Ministry, there were days she needed time to think and she chose to walk through the park. It wasn't a long walk, maybe ten or fifteen minutes, but enough for the young witch to organize her thoughts and try to figure out how to solve the current crisis that her department of Accidents and Catastrophes was suffering from.

One moment, she was walking along and trying to figure out how to clear up the mess of the talking radiator in a theatre that too many Muggles had heard, and the next she was almost bowled over by a football. Or rather, by a small someone who had been running after it.

"Careful there," Hermione cautioned with a smile, leaning down to help the child regain his balance.

"Sorry," the boy replied, looking up at her with wide grey eyes and smiling.

"Hey, is this yours?" a middle-aged man came over and handed over the football to the boy, smiling at Hermione as he did so. "A beautiful boy you have there."

Hermione's mouth opened to protest, to explain that this blond, charming boy was most certainly not her son, but the man had already walked away.

"Do you want to play with me?" the boy asked, completely unfazed by the stranger's incorrect assumption.

"Um… sure… but why are you here alone? What's your name?" she asked him, feeling oddly concerned about the fact he was racing around the park alone.

"Tyler. I'm with Daddy but he went to buy ice cream," the boy explained, taking her hand and pulling her onto the grass. "What's your name?"

"Hermione Granger," she answered with a smile, allowing herself to be pulled along. She felt oddly protective of this little boy.

Hermione thanked the gods that she had decided to wear flats that day, and she dropped her bag next to a nearby bench, deciding to stay with the boy until his father returned.

Tyler kicked the ball over, and she picked it up, about to throw it back to him.

"No, you kick," he said, motioning the movement.

Hermione, never being a particularly gifted athlete, missed on her first try, causing Tyler to erupt into delighted laughter.

"Again!" he called out, jumping up and down and causing a smile to lighten Hermione's own features.

"How did you do that?" a voice asked quietly from behind her. "Tyler hasn't laughed like…"

Hermione turned to face the man she suspected to be Tyler's father, and he stopped short when he saw her face. She couldn't blame him, really, she was just as shocked to be staring into the eyes of none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy?" she managed. "You're… you have a son?"

"Evidently," he replied tersely, smiling over as Tyler ran over to them and hugged his father's knees. "Hello there big guy, I see you've found yourself a new friend."

"Yes, Daddy. Where's my ice cream?" he asked, and his grin widened when he received the chocolate cone from his parent. "And I know you said I can't talk to strangers Daddy but she's also a witch so I thought you wouldn't mind," he explained between licks.

"How does he know-"

"He has the uncanny ability to read people and see them for who they really are," Draco replied before she had even finished her question. "Part of his magical abilities, I presume."

"Daddy can Hermione come home with us? I like her," Tyler announced, his head tilted upwards as he looked from one adult to the other.

Both of whom were speechless as this suggestion.

"I think Miss Granger has other plans, honey, but if you ask her nicely maybe you can see her again soon," Draco replied, kneeling beside his son to wipe away the chocolate stains on his cheek. It was only then that Hermione realized the similarities between them; the grey eyes and platinum hair, the long straight noses and charming smiles.

"Hermione, can I see you soon then?" Tyler asked her. She nodded with a faint smile, not entirely sure what to make of this entire episode, and Tyler, apparently satisfied for now, ran off to find his football.

"I wouldn't ask this if it wasn't for Ty here, but is there any chance you could find some time?" Draco asked, and the imploring note in his voice caused Hermione to look at him in bewilderment. He was looking at his son. "He hasn't been so friendly and open with anyone excluding myself and my mother, Granger, and it's a big step for him. Considering our past, I will fully understand if-"

"No, it's okay, Malfoy," Hermione interrupted him. "He seems like a lovely child, I'd love to be of any help I can."

Draco looked as surprised at this statement as Hermione felt when she realized exactly what she'd just said. But Tyler really did seem like a sensitive and unique child, and Hermione knew Draco would never want to spend time with her if he had a choice. His son must really have had a difficult past if he was asking her to help, and she was not the kind of person to willingly watch others struggle, whether she liked them or not.

"That's… great. How about ice cream in a week's time at Florean's?" Draco suggested, a hesitant smile on his face.

"Sure," Hermione smiled back, and began walking away to get her bag and say goodbye to Tyler.

"And Granger?" Draco called after her, causing her to turn. "Thanks."

It wasn't until she sat down on her sofa later that evening that Hermione realized it was the first time she had seen Draco Malfoy smile.

**A/N:** Good? Bad? Any thoughts you might have please share. Hope to update soon, I'll try to do so as frequently as I can, promise!


	2. Week Two

**Week Two**

**A/N: **Wow thanks for all the reviews people, I really appreciate the swift feedback! Anyway, here's another part for you, hope you enjoy it and leave a few words behind if you'll be so kind!

**Disclaimer:** Nope, the lovely couple featuring in this story is still not mine. Neither's their world.

**Sometimes you need a second chance, because time wasn't ready for the first one**

**~Unknown**

"Hermione!" Tyler literally jumped off his chair and ran over to the young witch to give her a hug. Smiling, Hermione greeted him with a friendly smile and walked back to his father with him, also taking a seat opposite the blond wizard.

"Have you asked Miss Granger if you can call her by her first name?" Draco questioned, raising an eyebrow at his son.

"Oh, it's all right," Hermione said, noticing how abashed Tyler looked at this. "We're friends and friends call each other by their first names, right?"

Tyler nodded, looking much happier, then turned to his father. "So that means you are on first name basis as well, right? Because you're friends from school? I saw the photos Daddy."

The two adults looked at each other, neither very sure what the correct response to this was. Hermione opened her mouth, about to try to break the sudden awkward silence, but Draco beat her to it.

"Well, we haven't seen each other in a long time, but if Hermione here is okay with it, then yes, we are on first name basis too," he replied, glancing at Hermione, who nodded her ascent.

"Good," Tyler said happily, digging his spoon into the lemon sundae that had just arrived in front of him. Draco automatically unfolded a napkin and placed it on Tyler's knees to stop his mini-robes gaining lemon ice-cream spots.

Hermione found herself observing them with a slight smile. She had spent the last week reading up and talking to people to find out more about what had happened to Draco since the last time she'd seen him, after the Final Battle. She had managed to discover that Tyler was six and the son of Astoria and Draco Malfoy. She knew only that Astoria had died two years previously, and that Draco had retired from his part time job at the Ministry (she was rather surprised she had never bumped into him there, actually) and moved to the Manor with his son where he took care of him with the help of his mother Narcissa.

But what she could see now gave her a whole new point of view on the situation. The blond wizard sitting opposite her did not resemble the boy she had studied with at all, excluding his looks. And he was rather good-looking, Hermione had to admit to herself, before mentally berating her mind for such unwelcome thoughts. The point was, however, that he had seen how easily Tyler had opened up to her, and just like that all those years of taunting and of prejudice were gone. The fact that he was willing to apologize and try to make a new start, all because of his son's reaction to her, showed how much he loved the little boy.

"So, Tyler, what have you been doing in the last week?" Hermione asked.

"Playing football, but Daddy has been teaching me to fly as well so I can play Quidditch when I grow big," he announced proudly. "And reading. I like to read. Do you like to read?"

Draco almost snorted at this question, earning a confused glance from his son and a frown from Hermione.

"Hermione adores books even more than you, Ty," he told him, ruffling his hair fondly.

"Really? Because Daddy likes to read but not like me. Will you come and read for me?" Tyler asked the witch.

Again, Hermione found herself speechless. The child was asking questions which put both Draco and herself in rather awkward situations, and she quickly reached the conclusion they would have to have a quick conversation before this went any further.

"Perhaps I'll be able to," she said vaguely, but it seemed enough for the little boy. For now, anyway.

Glancing around, Hermione noticed there was a small queue. Hoping this would give her an opportunity to talk to him, she caught his eye and motioned with her head in the direction of the counter.

"I think I'm going to go and pick something to eat, too," she said, slowly getting up, and Draco followed suit.

"I'll be right back, Ty, don't move from your seat while we're gone," he cautioned, looking at his son sternly and thus eliciting and obedient nod from him.

Standing in the queue, Hermione kept her eyes on the board displaying the many different ice cream flavours when she spoke, while Draco kept glancing between her and his son.

"What exactly do you expect from me?" Hermione asked him quietly. "I've seen him twice in my life, we have never been on friendly terms… what is going on here?"

"I told you before, he's an extremely closed off kid usually, but he has a knack for sensing the good in people," Draco replied. "And he obviously saw something in you. He hangs around kids his age sometimes, and I tried to get him to respond to a few tutors, but he was always shy around them and would later tell me he didn't like them for some reason or other. As for the kids, he just doesn't seem that interested in sharing and playing their games."

"But he's so friendly and talkative around me," Hermione wondered aloud, glancing back at the small blond head at the table.

"Exactly. I've never seen him so carefree around another adult he barely knows before," Draco answered with a small smile. "Perhaps if he gets to know you better, maybe that will help him change. Maybe he'll grow more confident and be able to hold friendly conversations with other people he meets too, maybe this will help him get rid of his reservations."

"Why me?"

Draco laughed aloud at this question. "I have no clue, but I presume he sensed some sort of goodness in you. It's a trademark of all you Gryffindors."

Hermione looked up at him as he said this, also smiling, and she found that his once cold, masked eyes were now more open and less hostile. Draco, in turn, found the honesty in her brown eyes as explanation enough for his son's behaviour – although he meant what he said about Gryffindors in general, he was well aware that Hermione, thanks to her intellect and understanding of people, had an unusually high capacity for forgiveness. Her honesty and purity that was written all over her face was probably what convinced Tyler that she was trustworthy, and it was probably why he had taken to her so fast. And to be perfectly honest, Draco decided that his son had made a good choice – Hermione was a patient witch, and if anyone could teach his son how to perceive the good in people, it was her.

They returned to the table a few minutes later to find Tyler slurping up the remnants of his ice cream. They laughed and talked and watched the people passing through Diagon Alley along with him, enjoying the late afternoon sunshine until the youngest Malfoy began yawning and Draco decided it was time to go home. They decided to meet in the park for a while the following day, and Hermione had the distinct feeling she would now be permanently walking home from work rather than travelling by any magical means. She returned home wondering again what had happened to Astoria and exactly how this had affected Tyler, but also feeling strangely happy with the way she had spent her afternoon. Both Malfoy men had been right, she was good through and through, and she loved being able to help people. Besides, Tyler was so eager to learn, she could see that he had some sort of mental barrier and trust issues, but she was sure that with time and some help these would be overcome. And if she could help him with that, then she certainly wasn't about to walk away.

Meanwhile, Draco put a tired Tyler into bed and walked downstairs to find his mother staring into the flames of their living room fireplace.

"Asleep?" she asked him.

"Yes," he replied, sitting down in an armchair nearby. "And he seems much happier than he's been in a long time."

"I know, I can see," Narcissa sighed. "I'm just worried that this might not be a good idea. You can't let him get too close to this girl. I am fully aware of her accomplishments and what an exceptional witch she is, but she will never be more than a friend of the family, if even that. He mustn't replace Astoria with her in his mind."

Her cautioning caused Draco to frown slightly; he hadn't really considered that deeply. To be fair, he hadn't thought the matter over in much detail at all, he was just happy that Tyler was finally beginning to open up and grow again. But his mother's logic made sense, and for the first time he began questioning his decision and wondering if his judgment on this one had been right after all.

**A/N**: Aaand? Stuff making sense so far, the character development is not too off or dry? Any comments are very, very welcome! Thanks guys!


	3. Week Three

**WEEK THREE**

**A/N:** Wow I never expected to get so many words of encouragement, thank you! Anyway, violetwild, I know that in canon Tyler is technically Scorpius, but this story doesn't follow canon so I figured I'd give him a name I actually like. So there we have Tyler. As for what happened to Astoria, CheshireCat23, you'll just have to wait and see! :P

**Disclaimer:** Nope, Draco and Hermione still not mine *sighs*

_**Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learnt the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learnt anything.**_

_**~Muhammad Ali**_

"Here you go," Hermione handed Draco her copy of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment with a smile. "It's one of my favourite classics, and I think you'll enjoy the philosophical approach of Russian authors.

"Thanks," Draco took the proffered book with a grin of his own, but Hermione managed to glimpse the uncertainty in his eyes before he put the novel away, and she shook her head to herself; he was still tentative of all thins Muggle.

She had been seeing Draco and Tyler almost every day since their afternoon at Florean's the previous week, whether it was at the park to play with Tyler, or at the ice cream parlour to talk. Hermione found herself looking forward to these afternoons, enjoying Tyler's ceaseless chatter and Draco's almost friendly remarks. The hostility and anger that had channeled between them at Hogwarts was completely gone now. Instead, it was replaced with goodnatured banter. Both adults had begun to consider their relationship to be growing into something akin to friendship. Hermione even found herself wondering sometimes whether they might have developed such an understanding even at Hogwarts, were it not for their friends, the House rivalries and Draco's family and prejudices.

"Hey, look at that!" Hermione grabbed the Slytherin's arm as she pointed towards Tyler. The blond was busy happily kicking a football with a dark-haired girl his age, smiling and laughing and calling encouragement to one another.

"It looks as if he's making friends," Draco observed, pride and relief written all over his face as he put an arm around Hermione and gave her a light squeeze. "And all thanks to you, too."

"Hmm, I might have had something to do with it," the witch replied with a wink.

Draco let go of her, thinking that Tyler wasn't the only one making friends. He was glad of Hermione's company, of having someone to talk to, especially as he could not pride himself in having maintained any friends from school. The war, the sides, his own behaviour had led him to spending time with dim bullies of Crabbe and Goyle's calibre rather than people like Hermione. People he might have made friends with.

"Daddy, can we come back tomorrow? Can we? Kate said she'd be here and she'll bring some friends and we'll play a real game!" Tyler was virtually bouncing with excitement, the football clutched tightly in his hands.

Draco chuckled at his son's carefree and happy expression. "Sure we can."

"Draco Malfoy, letting his son participate in a Muggle sport and play with Muggle children. Who could have ever guessed?" Hermione teased as they followed Tyler down the path to the front gate.

"Don't forget that I'm into Muggle literature now, too," Draco added, patting the bag into which he'd slipped Dostoyevsky's novel earlier. But then he grew serious. "If Muggles and their games make Ty more comfortable right now, then who am I to protest? If there's anything I've learned during the war, it's that blood really doesn't define people. I'm just sorry I couldn't see it earlier."

Hermione acknowledged this apology with a nod. That was a lesson almost everybody had been forced to learn - unfortunately, the hard way.

"So... do you want to see Ty play tomorrow then?" Draco asked her after a moment.

"I'll be there," Hermione replied with a grin. Then, with a quick hug for Tyler and a wave for Draco, she walked out of the park and disappeared around the corner.

Later that night, Tyler pushed open the heavy doors of the Manor's library. He had read all the books in his room already, and although his father had told him it was unlikely he'd find something suitable to read there, the boy refused to take this warning at face value and he'd decided to investigate for himself.

He had barely picked up a heavy tome off one of the bottom shelves - and was about to replace it as soon as he noticed it wasn't even written in English - when a voice behind him startled him so badly he dropped the volume on the floor with a loud thud.

"I doubt that's an appropriate book for you, young man," the translucent woman observed. "Here, try this."

Tyler took the much lighter book she pointed out and read the title aloud. "Grimm's Fairytales? Isn't this a Muggle book?"

"Indeed it is."

"But Daddy said we don't have any Muggle books here," Tyler frowned.

"It seems your father doesn't know his library quite as well as he thinks he does," the woman smiled ruefully. "We had quite the collection of Muggle books in my time."

That was when Tyler noticed her clothes - a floor-length dress, almost a ball gown, the edges sewn with pearls which also adorned the combs holding up her elaborate hairstyle. He had read about ghosts, of course, and his father had told him all about the Bloody Baron and Nearly Headless Nick who haunted Hogwarts, but he had never actually encountered the undead before. Suddenly, he didn't feel quite so sure of himself anymore.

"Who are you?" he asked uncertainly.

"Marianna Malfoy. I'm one of your ancestors, although you probably wouldn't find me anywhere on the family tree," she said.

"Why not?" Tyler asked, his curiosity overriding his discomfort.

"Because I married a man my family could not accept. He was a Muggle, you see - until that day they had hoped my obsessions with all things Muggle were based on the desire to eliminate them with more success. When they realized I was in fact fueled by love and curiosity of these people, they disowned me and pretended I had never existed at all."

"But Daddy says that blood doesn't matter and that everyone thinks so since the war ended," the boy sounded confused. For him, the war he heard of was ancient history simply because he had not participated in it himself.

"I lived a long time before the war you speak of," Marianna told him. "And I left quite a few Muggle books behind, hidden between the wizarding books. You'd like quite a few of them,."

"Can you show me?" Tyler asked, his attention diverted from her origins and the war immediately.

"Read that one first, and I'll get you another once you're finished," Marianna promised him. "And... Tyler? Don't tell anyone you saw me. Let's keep this a little secret between us, all right?"

The boy nodded happily before bounding out of the library to his room, already anticipating the stories enclosed in the intricately decorated pages he'd glimpsed when he'd flicked through the volume. Marianna watched him go, hoping her plan to bring Tyler closer to Muggles, and thus Hermione, would work. She had spent many years watching in silence as her family struggled to uphold their reputation of Purebloods. But she had seen the change that the war had wrought in Draco, and the growing relationship between him and Hermione. All thanks to Tyler. So she decided to use the boy to bring them even closer - it was high time that the Malfoy line allowed some new blood into its midst. And besides, she was the family ghost and she was sick of skulking and hiding; she was sure Hermione could help her living relatives accept her presence more easily than she could do herself.

**A/N:** So, what do you think? Interested? Think Tyler can bring Draco and Hermione together? Any thoughts and comments are always welcome.


	4. Week Four

**WEEK FOUR**

**A/N:** Thank you for comments guys! Haha Marianne was actually almost an improvised character, I didn't originally plan on putting her in but then she sort of... Appeared. Anyway, I hope she serves her purpose and doesn't get too annoying before the end of the story. But sorry, CheshireCat, Marianne and Astoria are not one and the same. As for what happened to Astoria..., well, you'll just have to read on and see now XD

**Disclaimer:** Didn't we go through this already? Not mine. These are all JK Rowling's toys.

**_You know what's really hard? It's when you want to express how you feel, and all you can do is smile_**

**_~Anonymous_**

Hermione stared open-mouthed at the elegant, huge mansion before her. The red brick was delicately covered in places by dark green ivy that bordered the pristinely clean windows and mahogany front door. Some of the numerous balconies protruding from the first and second floors were cast into shadow by the overhanging willows, tall ashes and towering oak trees. It was the stereotypical dream house of any little girl, and Hermione was about to enter it.

"Are you all right?" Draco's voice reached her as if from a distance, but the hand he lay on her bare arm a moment later brought her out of her reverie with a jolt.

"Oh, um, yes, of course, I'm fine," she stammered, tearing her eyes away from his house. "It's just that I wasn't expecting something quite so..."

"Impressive? Welcoming? Grand?" Draco supplied. "Come on then, let me show you the marble stairs and golden furniture and-"

"You have furniture made of gold?"

"Of course not, that was a joke," Draco shook his head and chuckled to himself, taking her hand so that she'd be forced to follow him into the house, as she made no move to vacate the spot into which she had Apparated moments before. "Do you really think even we would be that vain?"

"Do you want an honest answer, or a polite one?" Hermione asked, managing to shake off the sense of awe somewhat.

"Never mind," Draco grinned. Hermione noticed briefly that he still hadn't let go of her hand, but she said nothing, finding surprising comfort in the small touch.

Draco had picked her up from her flat and side-Apparated with her to the Manor so that she could participate in Tyler's birthday. It was meant to be a surprise, and both Draco and Hermione agreed it would be a good one; it would certainly make a nice change for Tyler himself, to celebrate his birthday with someone other than just Draco and Narcissa. What Hermione hadn't discussed with her one-time nemesis, however, was her apprehension at the thought of meeting his mother; she was reluctant to take Draco's word for it that the older witch really had changed.

"They're probably in the living room. Tyler usually opens his presents there, and I told him I have to go pick up his surprise, so naturally he assumed it would be a wrapped gift rather than... well, you," Draco told her, opening the door and letting Hermione through first. He motioned to the glass doors which led to the living room and Hermione, with a last glance of reassurance at him, pushed them open.

Tyler looked up as he heard the doors click as they gave way, expecting to see his father bearing yet another gift for him. He was turning six, after all. So when he spotted Hermione in the doorway, he could only stare at her speechless for a moment. The silence that made the Muggleborn so momentarily uncomfortable was quickly ended and lightened by the boy's whoops of joy as he threw himself at the witch.

"Hermione, you came! You're the surprise! This is the bestest surprise ever, Daddy!"

"Happy birthday, Ty," Hermione laughed as she swung the boy around a few times before placing his feet once more firmly on the floor She reached into her pocket and withdrew a small object that grew into a book once she tapped it with her wand. "It's my favourite book of all time, and I think you'll like it, too."

"Hogwarts, A History," Tyler read, then looked up at her, eyes shining. "And it's the new edition, with stuff about the war!" he added, flipping through it, then opening it to the first page.

"I had some friends from school sign it, I thought it would be more special that way..."

"You know Harry Potter? You're friends with Harry Potter? Can I meet him?" Tyler's eyes had widened to enormous proportions as he bounced around the room as if he were on springs.

"I'm sure something can be arranged," Draco put a calming hand on the top of his son's head when he was about to jump past him. The wizard glanced at Hermione to make sure his promise could be kept, and she nodded her agreement.

"Draco, why don't you go and get the cake? Tyler can show you where it is," a new voice suddenly joined the conversation. Narcissa had risen from her seat by the large French windows and approached Hermione with a smile. "Ms Granger, it good to see you again. I'm glad we meet in more pleasant circumstances this time."

"Hermione, please," the younger witch said, shaking the proffered hand. "Indeed. Everything's better now the war's ended."

"Yes, including the people. I'm sorry for all the trouble my family has caused you in the past, Hermione. I do hope we can put those things behind us now and start over."

So she had changed, Hermione thought. "Of course."

"And thank you for what you're doing for my grandson," the blond witch added. "It means a lot to Draco and myself."

"I'm glad to be of help," Hermione smiled, meaning every word. "Besides, Ty is a great child, I enjoy spending time with him."

"That feeling is mutual, as I'm sure you're aware. However, Hermione, I would like you to keep one thing in mind," Narcissa's voice, although still polite, wore a more serious tone now. "Tyler is just a child, a lonely and motherless one at that. He doesn't become attached to people easily, but once he does... well, it would be better for him if you did not allow him to grow too attached."

Hermione barely had time to nod to indicate that she knew what Narcissa meant before the boys came back with the cake. Both women pretended that they had been making simple small talk the whole time, but Narcissa's words cast a shadow in Hermione's mind that remained there all through the singing of 'Happy Birthday', the game of Exploding Snap, the walk in the garden. Because although she hadn't allowed herself to consider this before, Hermione saw sense in Narcissa's words. Tyler was growing attached to her, perhaps too much so considering she was only a friend of his father's, if even that. Although she felt at ease and happier than ever when spending time with Draco and Tyler, common sense would need to override her emotions soon to save all the involved parties unnecessary pain and confusion.

**A/N: ** Ahh so finally someone's actually thinking about the possible long term consequences of Draco and Hermione's relationships. Is Hermione going to listen to reason and withdraw from her side of the deal... Or not? What do you guys think should happen?


	5. Week Five

**WEEK FIVE**

**A/N:** So you've probably been wondering what happened to the Golden Trio as a whole - here come Harry and Ron now. To be honest, there are a few versions of their reaction to Hermione and Draco's friendship that I could think of, so this is just one of them, which one I choose to write about usually depends on my mood... Hope it's okay with you guys though :) Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: Golden Trio not mine. Neither is the blond ferret, sorry.

**_True friendship is when two friends can walk together in opposite directions, yet remain side by side_**

**_~Anonymous_**

A set of new books to lend Tyler - check. The strawberries and raspberries in the picnic basket - check. Handbag - check. Sunglasses and hat - check. Floo powder ready - check.

Satisfied that everything was in place, Hermione grabbed her wand and was about to leave her appartment when her fireplace flashed green and a certain black haired wizard she hadn't seen in too long stepped into her living room.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, almost dropping the load in her arms. She put it down quickly on her sofa and gave her friend a hug, only to be enveloped in a rush of red hair as Ginny Weasley, closely followed by Ron.

"Hermione! Where've you been? You missed Luna's bachelor party last week, it was the best thing since Hannah and Neville's wedding-" Ginny babbled.

"Gin, let her breathe," Ron cautioned his sister and Harry put an arm around his girlfriend to calm her down.

"What's been happening? We've barely seen you these past few weeks, your owls are so short and to the point, then you didn't turn up for brunch at the Burrow yesterday..." Ron trailed off.

"So we thought we'd come to check on you to see that everything's all right. What's all this?" Ginny motioned to the basket and bag and hat on the sofa, a slight frown creasing her pale complexion. "You're not replacing us with new friends by any chance, are you?"

Hermione grinned at this and shook her head. Seeing her chance to finally get a word into the conversation, she opened her mouth.

"No, of course not. I'm sorry, I've just been rahter busy at work and everything, " she hastened to explain, and drew a deep breath as she wondered how best to tell them that she had also been spending a lot of time with none other than Draco Malfoy and his son.

"Just work?" Harry raised a questioning eyebrow at her, shooting the sofa a meaningful glance. "You can tell us if you're seeing someone, you know."

Hermione spluttered at this and blushed at the thought of dating Draco. Ginny misinterpreted her reaction though, and grinned happily.

"You are seeing someone! Who is he? How did the two of you meet? When will you introduce us?"

"No, Gin, it's not like that," Hermione protested rahter nervously. "I just met someone who kind of needed my help... He's a single father, you see, and his son had some problems talking to people, to strangers, but he really started opening up around me and we decided I'd see them on a more regurlar basis to keep Tyler happy."

"Tyler? That's the boy?" Ron asked, and recieved a nod in response.

"Sounds like dating to me, with a kid chaperone," Ginny observed matter-of-factly. "I mean, you're going out of your way to help him with his son, you see him often, you're planning a... Picnic?"

"No, we're just friends. I mean, I like spending time with him and all, but that's it," Hermione continued to explain. "You see, Draco..."

She almost clamped a hand over her mouth for letting his name slip. Although many of the pre-war prejudiced were gone now, there nevertheless remained a deep dislike on a more personal level between Draco and the majority of the Gryffindors, especially Harry and the Weasleys.

"As in Draco Malfoy?" the legendary wizard gawped at her in disbelief. "Hermione, are you out of your mind? He's-"

"Right here, Potter," Draco's voice sounded from the fireplace, where his head had been eavesdropping, unnoticed by the four friends, until now. It disappeared for a moment, only to be replaced by the complete physical form of Draco entering Hermione's already crowded living room. "And the last time I checked, Potter, Hermione was perfecctly sane."

"Stop it!" Hermione stepped in between the two wizards, who had somehow found themselves nose to nose, glaring at each other and fingering wands. "Harry, I meant what I said before. Draco, stop trying to provoke Harry. Go, I'll see you at the park later."

The blond wizard was evidently about to protest, but Hermione's irritated expression and the wand in her hand led him to the conclusion that it might be safer for all parties involved for him to leave, after all. Wordlessly, he grabbed a handful of floo powder and disappeared ina swirl of Slytherin smoke.

"Harry, stop overreacting. Ron, I know what you're about to say so save it for yourself, please," Hermione told her two friends. "It's not like I'm dating him or anything, we're just friends. It's harmless."

"What about-"

"Hogwarts? The namecalling and cursing each other?" Ginny, much to everyone's surprise, cut across her brother. "Ron, you know how much all of that was caused by the War and how much we've all changed since then. I've heard myself that the Malfoys, now that Lucius is in Azkaban, are considered to be rather decent folk. Besides, since when have you stopped trusting Hermione's judgement?"

"But Malfoy?" Harry asked, though the girls noted with some satisfaction his voice was devoid of its previous zeal.

"Yes, Malfoy. I know what I'm doing," Hermione assured them, once again picking up her things. "Thanks, Ginny. Now, I've got somewhere to be, so why don't you guys go off to digest this and we can meet up for drinks tomorrow?"

"Sounds good to me," Ginny replied, herding off the two wizards towards the fireplace.

"Great, until tomorrow then," Hermione said, and watched Ron whirl off into the chimney with an uncertain smile. She was about to see Harry go the same way when she remembered her recent conversation with the youngest Malfoy.

"Oh, and Tyler really wants to meet you, I promised him I'd arrange it. That's okay with you, right?" and with that, she gave im a push into the already green flames and shouted out his address for him.

**A/N:** So what did you think? Anyway you have time to leave me any thoughts and opinions, I won't be able to post more for another week or two due to moving to uni and RL being more than just a bit hectic at the moment. But I promise to be back with more as soon as I settle in! :)


	6. Week Six

**WEEK SIX**

**A/N: **I'm so sorry for making you guys wait so long, but I've finally got internet again and hopefully will be able to update on a regular basis once more. Anyway, thanks for all the wonderful reviews and encouragement, it really means a lot.

**Disclaimer:** Nope, Drace and Hermione still not mine. I know I've been gone for over a week and all, but I was not stealing them from J.. I'm not that badass, guys.

**Home is not where you live, but where they understand you**

**~Christian Morgenstern**

"You should try some of that apple pie, Hermione, it's delicious!" Tyler held out the steaming dish so the witch could help herslef to some.

Hermione was once more having dinner with the Malfoys, a frequent occurence since Tyler's birthday. Despite the serious tone of her conversation with Narcissa that day, the elder woman was now surprisngly warma nd welcoming to the Gryffindor, and Hermione realized she enjoyed their conversations almost as much as she liked talking to the Malfoy men, as she referred to them in her thoughts.

"Thanks, Ty, but this is the last I'm eating tonight, I don't think my stomach can take any more food in," she announced regretfully.

"Oh, but you have to try the ice fruit salad!" Draco pointed out in mock seriousness. You wouldn't want to offend Dilcey now, would you?" he raised an eyebrow as he referred to one of Hermione's favourite house elves.

"Leave the girl be," Narcissa interrupted. "And don't you worry, Hermione, I'm sure Dilcey wouldn't be offended by anything you ever did."

"Thank you, Narcissa," Hermione smiled.

"Anytime, dear. Now, young man, isn't it nearing your bedtime?" the blond witch looked at her grandson pointedly. "We've spent long enough sitting here and talking nonsense while you have lessons tomorrow."

"It's still early!" Ty grimaced at the thought of having to go to bed early, even if it meant hed be groggy in the morning when Draco woke him up for his lessons with the family tutor.

"Go on upstairs, Ty, you'll see Hermione again soon enough," Draco assured his son, and Hermione nodde din agreement. Reluctantly, the blond boy slipped off his chair and gave his father and friend a hug. He refused to take Narcissa's hand, however, when she wanted to lead him upstairs, and he left the room rather sulkily.

"I'll go to tuck him in," she threw over her shoulder. "Draco stay here and keep Hermione company while I'm gone, will you?"

"No, I should probably be heading off myself soon," Hermione observed, her fingers tapping herwine glass lightly. "Thanks for the dinner again, though."

"It's no problem. You know you're always welcome here, Hermione," Draco smiled back, his usual friendly smile that Hemrione had come to like so much, but with a strange intensity in his grey-blue eyes that captivated Hermione's and made it virtually impossible for her to look away.

She had always been aware of Draco's good looks, his charm and intellect, all the more appealing now that his character was more pleasant too. But she ignored these observations, just as she pretended not to see the jealous glances shot in her direction on the street when she was walking along with Draco and TY, acting the happy family. She was convinced that Draco could not find her remotely attractice, and thus she refused to think about him in any other cntext than a friend and Ty's father, although there were moments like these when Hemrione found it entirel possible to be falling for him.

Draco looked away first, and Hermione, feeing rahter flushed, got up from the table and smoothed down hr skirt."

"Well, thanks anyway, again," she began awkwardly. Taking her bag, she moved towards the front door, Draco following her closely.

"Come again tomorrow," he said on impulse, cathcing her hand before it reached the doorknob.

"All right," Hermione found herself saying, focused more on the feeling of having her hand in his than on the words between them.

Draco, in turn, realized he didn't want to let her go. He looked forward to spending time with her more than anything else, and whether he wanted to or not, the Slytherin found himself falling for the brown-eyes, intelligent Gryffindor witch.

But now was not the time to tell her that. He let go of her hand reluctantly, watching her walk down the driveway and Disapparate at the end of it.

Narcissa, too, watched Hermione leave from the upstairs window, thinking of how good the younger woman was with Tyler and how her sone was slowly but surely falling in love with the Muggleborn. The blond sighed, hoping against hope that things would work out between the two adults somehow; Ty needed a mother.

Tyler, on the other hand, was wide awake in his room and talking to Marianne, who had just appeared through the wall opposite his bed.

"I don't understand why I have to go to bed so early. I wanted to spend time with Hermione!" he complained to his ghostly friend. Marianne offered a reassuring smile in response.

"But you'll see Hermione tomorrow, or the day after."

"I wish she lived with us, though."

Marianne paused at this. She wondered momentarily what Draco's take on the situation was, too, and whether Tyler knew anything about it. She wasn't entirely sure of the nature of their relationship yet.

"Have you told your father this?" Marianne asked tentatively.

"No. Do you think he'll ask Hermione to live with us if I do?" Tyler mused.

"Perhaps," Marianne smiled again. "If he likes her like you do, perhpas he will."

"Of course he does. He looks at Hermione like he used to look at Mummy," Tyler murmured, already drifting off to sleep. Marianne smoothed back his hair and hoped that the boy's observations weren't mistaken.

**A/N**: Okay, so how was that? Any thoughts and comments are welcome!


	7. Week Seven

**WEEK SEVEN**

**A/N:** I don't know how to apologize, I know you probably all want to kill me by now for neglecting to update for so long. My excuse? Starting uni in a new country is absolutely crazy and I've been having trouble getting my head around everything, but I'm trying to settle into some sort of (hopefully constructive) routine that will allow for more frequent updates. Keep your fingers crossed that it will work, and in the meantime enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: Characters and the magic still owned by the one and only JK Rowling.

_**We do not know the value of our moments unitl they have become a memory**_

_**~ Georges Duhamel**_

"Where's Tyler?" Hermione asked, seeing only Draco waiting for her in front of the Ministry. He had told her they'd meet her there and Apparate to some surprise place he wanted to show her, one Tyler had assured her she'd 'absolutely love!'

"Not feeling too well, he's at home with Mother. Stomach bug," Draco explained. "But he insisted I come and that we carry on with the plan."

Hermione returned the smile he gave her then, albeit a little bit hesitantly. She was used to spending time with Draco now, but almost always Tyler was around with them - she wasn't entirely convinced it was a good idea to be alone with him. Wouldn't that resemble a date too much? Did Draco realize this? And if he did, was it his intention to make it into a date?

"Come on, I promise dhim I'd show you and then tell him what you thought about it. You don't want to disappoint him, now, do you?" Draco raised an eyebrow, simultaneiously grabbing her arm and steering her towards the Apparition point. "Hold tight, we'll side-Apparate."

And without giving Hermione any more time for second thoughts and uncertainty, he swished his wand and Hermione felt the familiar, uncomfortable sensation that pressed her closer to Draco. Seconds later, she was blinking in surprise a she absorbed her new surroundings; white sand as far as the eye could see, a turquoise ocean that abanadoned glistening shells with each breath and not another soul in sight.

"Where are we?" she asked, noticing how the afternoon sun grew redder by the minute as it travelled downwards, an unblinking eye on the horizon.

"A beach," Draco replied informatively. "It's a small island just off the French coast. Pretty much uninhabited, Tyler loves to come here in summer. My parents discovered it shortly after getting married."

"It's beautiful," Hemrione announced.

"Wait until you see the sunset," Draco grinned. "Come on, we'll have some champagne while we wait."

"Champagne? Are we celebrating something?" Hermione asked, still not moving, although Draco had already taken a few steps towards the blanket and picnic basket laid out nearby. Rolling his eyes at her endless questions, Draco turned back and took her hand, pulling her along with him.

"Do we need an occasion to enjoy a glass of champagne?" he asked her. "You ask too many questions, Hermione. Stop overthinking things and just enjoy the evening."

Not entirely sure what to reply and still deeply impressed by this magical place, Hermione sat down beside Draco on the blanket and took the proffered flute.

"Cheers," he said, clinking is glass against hers and taking a sip, watching Hermione do the same.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, enjoying the salty breeze, the whisper of the waves and the warm colours bathing the sky in the shades of a sunset.

"You never told me what happened to Astoria," Hermione said quietly after a while. It was a topic she had been meaning to ask Draco about for a while now, but she never wanted to bring it up with Tyler around. She thought it would help her understand the boy better.

"She died," Draco relied simply, staring out to sea.

"You loved her, didn't you?" Hermione asked, already reading the answer in his wistful expression.

"Yes, I loved her. She was a great witch and a wonderful mother and wife. Tyler spent most of his time with her, sometimes we thought that perhaps he was even too attached to her, but we decided to let him grow out of it by himself. That's why he took her death all the harder. She grew sick and died quickly, too quickly... At St. Mungo's they said it was cancer, one of the few diseases that wizards haven't found a cure for yet."

"I'm sorry," Hermione said, and suddenly the image of her parents came to her mind. She sighed heavily, wishing for the upteenth time that they were still alive.

Draco, sensing that her mind had drifted far away from the beautiful view in front of them, looked at her carefully. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, I... Just remembered my own parents," Hermione replied sadly, beginnign to pick at one of the threads on the blanket.

"Did they..." Draco began, then stopped, not sure how to phrase the question delicately.

"Die? Yes," Hermione supplied. "At the end of the war, a few stray Death Eaters found them, recognised their surname and linked them to me."

Something about the bitter note in her voice caused Draco to frown slightly.

"You're not blaming yourself, are you?"

Hermione only shrugged in response. Draco touched her cheek briefly, before raising her chin and forcing her to look him in the eye.

"Hermione, it was not your fault. You're one of the war heroes, so they knew your name. But even if they didn't, do you think they'd have let them go? It was horrible, a terrible thing to do, yes, but things like that happen in war. You cannot blame yourself - I'm sure they wouldn't want you to do so, anyway, don't you?"

Eliciting a small nod from her, Draco acted on impulse and hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head.

"Now, that's the end of such topics. Look at the sun," he said, letting her go and leaning back on the blanket.

"Thanks," Hermione said, leaning back next to him and somehow ending up with his arms around her again, feeling safe and secure, as well as comforted by his words. Draco only smiled slightly in response, and they sat side by side, enjoying th view and each other's company well into the night. When they finally returned to the Manor, in the hope of tucking Tyler in, they found the boy was already fast asleep.

**A/N**: And on that sweet, romantic note I'm going to leave you for the day, but I'll be back soon with more Dramione incidents. Leave a comment before disappearing back to your RL, please!


	8. Week Eight

**WEEK EIGHT**

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews and encouragement, guys, I'm glad you like it! And yeah, I know the chapters are all quite short, this actually started off as a oneshot and what you see now as being chapters were just meant to be short 'incidents', so... Yeah, hope that explains stuff. Anyway, here's some more to keep you going!

**Disclaimer:** Nope, Draco still doesn't belong to me. Nor does Hermione, or their world... You get the idea, must I repeat myself so?

**_Our chief want in life is somebody who will make us do what we can_**

**_~Ralph Waldo Emerson_**

"I'm happy you're here, Hermione. It's like we're one family now, isn't it, you, me and Daddy?"

Hermione and Draco glanced at each other above Tyler's head, shocked. They were at a Muggle fair in the neighbourhood that Hermione had often come to as a child, and she'd convinced Draco that Tyler would also have fun there. They'd just left the rollercoaster that left Hermione's knees shaking when Tyler made his comment, walking between the two adults and holding both their hands. Indeed, to other people they probably did look like a family.

Tyler had also said this because the pictures of ghosts on the pirate sips, which was advertised as being supposedly haunted, had reminded him of Marianne and his last conversation with her. Although he hadn't seen her in a while now, Tyler had almost forgotten their last encounter and hadn't yet asked Draco about Hermione living with them. But he thought that perhaps his father would make the suggestion himself if he pointed out the fact that they were practically a family now anyway. After all, Draco liked Hermione as much as he did - and he even looked at the brunette with the same smile Tyler recalled seeing on his face when he'd looked at Astoria.

"Tyler, we're no exactly a family," Hermione pointed out. She saw that Draco was at a loss for words, and she wracked her brains for a way to explain this clearly to the little boy. She didn't want Tyler to start replacing Astoria with her in his mind.

"I know, but we could be," Tyler shrugged as he looked up at her innocently. "Can I go on the Farris Wheel now?"

"Here," Draco absent-mindedly bought his son a ticket and strapped him in securely. "Have fun!"

"What do we tell him now? Everyone told me to be careful, that a child his age could make such a connection easily, that I was growing too close to him..." Hermione started panicking almost as soon as Tyler was off the ground.

"Hey, hey, Hermione! Calm down," Draco squeezed her shoulders lightly as he turned her to face him, feeling none too calm himself. "It's okay, we'll just have to explain to him that you're... Like an auntie to him. Or something."

"Or something." Hermione echoed. "Okay, fine. And-"

"Stop it," Draco interrupted her, seeing the flow of words already bubbling in her mouth. "He's a bright kid, he'll understand. The main thing is that you don't vanish from his life all of a sudden, all right?"

"Yeah," Hermione took a deep breath, seeing sense in Draco's words and feeling herself calm down a bit.

"Good. Now, just relax and enjoy the rest of the day, and I'll talk to the little guy later tonight," Draco promised, almost automatically putting an arm around Hermione's shoulders as he shielded his eyes from the sun's glare and sought out his son among the excited children above them.

So Hermione did her best to take Draco's words to heart and tried to relax. And a few crazy rides later, amid the laughter and the fun she had almost forgotten the whole situation. She found herself reliving her childhood through this afternoon, and deep down she subconsciously agreed with Tyler's previous words; she did feel like part of a big happy family. She felt comfortable and at ease with Draco and Tyler, enjoying all their encounters and meetings. Of course, she'd convinced herself that this was only because she'd discovered a great friend in Draco, and because Tyler was such a pleasant and intelligent child it was impossible to remain immune to his innocent charm.

But then they went for ice cream, and remembering what happened at the booth later that evening, Hermione wasn't at all sure about anything anymore, so confused were her emotions.

"Here, try," Tyler had said, shoving his chocolate cone under Draco's nose so he could have a taste. Unfortunately, Draco had also begun to lean down towards his son, and the ice cream ended smashing into his cheek.

Both Hermione and Tyler laughed at this, Tyler's laughter growing when they realized they had no tissues or napkins. Draco tried to clean his cheek with his hand, but lacking a mirror, he missed some. Without thinking, Hermione leaned over to him and wiped off the last of the ice cream, licking it off her finger slowly. She hadn't anticipated the reaction this would have on Draco, which was to grab her and start leaning towards her.

Before she could discover whether he really was going to kiss her, though, Tyler had started yelling and pointing at the red nosed clown who had appeared in their midst. Hermione left them soon afterwards, wondering why her heart thudded so loudly in her chest every time she caught Draco's stormy eyes on her after this episode.

**A/N: **I will now try to update about once a week, somewhere around the weekend I should hope. Anyway, any thoughts on this before I post the next chapter in a few days?


	9. Week Nine

**WEEK NINE**

**A/N:** I know I said I'd update once a week, I'm so sorry I failed you guys last week. But thank you soo much for the reviews, they mean so much to me. That being said, enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: Nope, not mine. Must I say this every time?

**_It's not the kiss itself, but the moment before you're lips touch that leaves you speechless _**

**_~Anonymous_**

"Do you think she'll be good enough for Tyler? I mean, he may be different sometimes, as you well know, and..."

"I'm sure that Padma Patil will manage just fine, Draco," Hermione tried to reassure him. "Come on, she was a brilliant Ravenclaw who had almost the same grades as me on out NEWTs, we know her, and she's one of the few available tutors who won't be intimidated by you should you choose to sit in on every second lesson. What more could you want from a tutor? She'll prepare Ty perfectly for Hogwarts."

"So could you," Draco pointed out sulkily, and Hermione almost laughed aloud at the childish pout of his mouth. At least now she could see where Tyler got his expressions from.

"If I quit my well-paying job at the Ministry, then perhaps yes," she told him. "Come on, or at least try to keep an open mind this time. Please?"

Hermione's soft brown eyes, glinting gold in the lamplight, convinced him to admit logic and sense in her words, albeit grudgingly. He nodded and sighed, closing the file in which he'd had one of the house elves organize all the CVs of prospective tutors for Tyler. After all, Draco had no incentive for teaching himself, and he wanted Tyler to set off to Hogwarts well prepared when his time came.

"Fine, fine, we'll go with the Ravenclaw," he agreed. "But she better not make him into one of them, or I'll lay the blame solely on your shoulders. My son's meant to be in Slytherin."

"Oh? I think he has quite a lot of a Ravenclaw in him, to be honest, perhaps even a Gryffindor..." Hermione pouted as she pretended t consider the matter seriously.

"Very funny. Next you'll be telling me he's perfectly suited for Hufflepuff," Draco forecast sarcastically. "Which could not be further from the truth. I'd send him to Durmstrang if that happened."

"Draco you really need-"

"To be more tolerant because Ty can't feel like I'm pressuring him into getting sorted into a specific house, yes, I know,"Draco rolled his eyes at her. "But seriously, Hufflepuff? Would you be happy if your kid ended up a badger?"

Hermione laughed aloud at his indignant expression. They'd had this discussion before; Draco insisting no Malfoy could ever be sorted into a house other than Slytherin, and Hermione going through the alternatives to make sure Draco wouldn't make Tyler feel bad were he actually sorted elsewhere. Of course, the boy's sorting would not take place for another few years, but both adults enjoyed the banter and laughter that came out of discussing Tyler's future.

Draco loved how endearing Hermione looked when she got frustrated trying to explain something to him, while Hermione enjoyed the challenge it was to try to convince Draco there might be another way of approaching matters than his own. And she received immense satisfaction whenever she managed to open his mind that little bit farther to accept different possibilities. Having been a Muggleborn in the wizarding world, she was ever tolerant, while the pureblooded Draco was still sometimes finding difficulty tearing himself away from the old way of thinking.

"Whatever," Hermione shook her head as the laughter stopped bubbling out of her and got up to put the file away. They were in Draco's office, where he kept all relevant documents, and where they'd spent the last three mornings trying to decide on Tyler's tutor. Now that she had finally convinced Draco to accept Padma, Hermione was glad to put the file away and never have to look through the stack of CVs again.

However, she'd misjudged the height of the bookcase where Draco kept his files. Barely managing to balance the heavy file in one hand, she stood on her tiptoes while balancing herself with her other hand on a lower shelf. Yet no matter how she strained to push the file onto the top shelf, she couldn't do it.

Draco chuckled quietly to himself as he watched her struggle, and shaking his head at her stubbornness, the part of her that prevented her asking him for help, he walked towards her to give her a hand anyway.

"Here, I've got it," he murmured as his hand covered hers and raised the file high enough to push it safely onto the shelf. However, the shelf was high even for him, and to reach it he had to press himself closely to Hermione's back. His hand still raised, holding hers in place against the highest shelf, he suddenly became aware of the vanilla perfume she wore, of the soft curve of her neck right in front of him.

Hermione, in turn, stood stock still as she tried to calm her breathing and only managed to quicken and louden her heartbeat. Or was that Draco's? She wasn't sure, but she knew he was so close to her that she was aware of his body with every fibre of her being. She could feel his breath on her neck, sending pleasant shivers down her back. Should she turn around? Was he going to move away? Or...

"Hermione," the blond wizard whispered into her ear, sending another involuntary shiver down her spine and causing her head to turn so brown eyes could meet grey.

They stared at each other for a moment before Draco began lowering his head towards hers, their fingers intertwining as they slid down the shelves. He released her hand only for a moment when he turned her to face him, and finally closed the distance between them.

Draco leant into her, pressing her against he shelves as he parted her lips and deepened the kiss. Hermione found herself responding, moments later snaking her arms around his neck and pulling him closer. She dimly thought that she'd never been kissed like this in her life and that she wished it would never end, but a sudden crash made Draco jump back and turn around to see what had happened, breaking their kiss.

"The glass fell off the desk, look," Hermione pointed at the glass of water she'd left by the edge of the wooden surface.

"By itself?" Draco asked doubtfully.

"Stranger things have happened," Hermione answered, feeling rather self conscious and straightening her blouse as she moved out fro behind Draco and approached the desk to get her bag. "I'd better go, we shouldn't be doing this anyway..."

"Why not?" Draco asked her with a frown, causing Hermione to once again marvel at the bluntness and ignorance of men.

"Because anyone could have walked in on us. What if Tyler had interrupted us, instead of only the glass falling down?" she asked him, at the same time picking up the offensive object and replacing it on the desk top.

"So what if he had?" Draco still couldn't see her point.

"What do you mean, so what? Draco, we're not dating, he thinks we're just friends. But, on the other hand, I spend more time around him than most of your friends, and sometimes it's clear he doesn't know what to label me as. Do you want to confuse him further? Or, Merlin forbid, make him think we're something we're not?"

Hermione glared at him, angry at his ignorance and insensitivity. Draco glared back, hurt by her words but much to proud to admit it.

"So what, my relationships must now be defined by my son's perception of them? Just because you were introduced to him as a friend means you must stay only a friend to both of us?"

"Of course not, but you can't expect him to understand what's happening if he just runs in and finds us making out, can you?"

"He didn't run in though, did he? Besides, he always knocks."

"That's not the point!" Hermione almost yelled in frustration. Here she was, trying to take things slow and somehow hint on this to Draco, so they wouldn't startle Tyler and they'd be able to make rational decisions concerning their relations instead of rushing into something. But no, Draco had to go and turn it into something literal and see a problem in every word she was saying. It's like it didn't even occur to him that Tyler might not have knocked, or that he might misunderstand and think that they really could be a family, or just the opposite and he could mistrust both of the claiming they had lied to him when they told him they were just friends...

"I have to go," Hermione muttered, grabbing her bag and almost rushing out the door, the tumult of thoughts in her head making no sense even to her. She needed some fresh air. And the safety of her own appartment, where there was no Draco Malfoy to distract her from the path of reason.

Draco flinched as the door slammed after her, then walked over to his desk and sat down. Burying his head in his hands, he wondered what in the world had just happened, and why Hermione had flown off the handle at him like that. He sighed heavily.

Unbeknownst to him, his sigh was mirrored by the currently invisible ghost of his ancestor as she stared at the glass, cursing herself for her own clumsiness which had been the cause of the anger and disagreement between Draco and Hermione. She really had to pay attention as to which piece of furniture she'd appear on next time she wanted to change location.

Or perhaps she should just stick to walking, Marianna decided. Yes, she'd do that, it was much safer.

**A/N:** So how was that for some proper Dramione sparks? All thoughts and comments welcome! I will do my absolute best to post the next chappie next weekend, but as I haven't qite finished writing it, It may come a few days late... Hopefully not though, I'll do my best to get it done in time.


	10. Week Ten

**WEEK TEN**

**A/N**: I'm a week late, I know! But here's some more Dramione goodies for you to enjoy! Thanks for all the reviews and comments, each and every one of them means so much. Thank you!

**Disclaimer**: Haven't we been through this? I don't wield J.K. Rowling's wand, Draco and Hermione are not mine! (Not yet, anyway *evil laugh*)

**_It's hard to pretend to love someone when you don't, but even harder to pretend not to love someone when you really do _**

**_~Anonymous_**

"Hermione!" Tyler threw himself at the figure walking down the path, almost throwing her of balance. The witch in question had been so deep in thought she hadn't seen the child running at her until he yelled out her name.

"Woah, Tyler, slow down there!" she laughed as she picked him up for a minute and spun around with him, her auburn curls catching the sunlight in a most enticing way - at least, that's what Draco couldn't help but notice as he slowly followed his son along the path.

"You were supposed to come over last night for dinner, why didn't you? Daddy said you had too much work but it was empty without you," Tyler observed sadly once Hermione had set him down on the ground again.

The young witch bit her lip at this, unsure of how to respond, when she noticed Draco nearing them. For a moment, any excuse she might have had flew out of her head when she saw him, looking more handsome than ever in a charcoal turtleneck and fitted jeans and...

She shook her head angrily as if to shake such thoughts out of her mind. She had been thinking of the blond wizard more than she cared to admit since she last saw him in the library, and had tried to avoid all contact since, much as it had pained her to disappoint Tyler. She just thought that she needed a chance to gather her thoughts and not see the two Malfoys for a while. Of course, a walk in the park was usually what helped her to think, so without analyzing the decision too much she'd chosen this way home, not stopping to realize that Draco would probably have taken his son out to enjoy the sunshine, too.

"Hermione," Draco nodded to her in greeting and attempted a smile, but something in her expression, uncertainty perhaps, he wasn't quite sure, made him feel awkward. This was not how he'd envisaged their first meeting since kissing her at the Manor the previous week.

"Hi, Draco," Hermione said, her smile as superficial as his.

"So did you have too much work? What did you have to work on?" Tyler pressed on, oblivious to the thoughts and confused feelings of the two adults towering above him.

"Oh... Well, we've had a lot of meetings this week and some new employees I had to supervise," Hermione turned her attention back to the boy, avoiding Draco's eyes.

She was sure he'd seen right through her owl that she'd sent the previous night telling him she couldn't make it to dinner, and she was too embarrassed to meet his eye now. After all, she'd never claimed to have too much work to see them since they started to meet, and besides, she knew Draco was perfectly aware of her capabilities when it came too work - she was too organized a person to ever cancel her engagements.

"Oh," Tyler nodded as if understanding. "But you'll come over now, right? Gran had the elves make the best apple pie you've ever tasted!"

"Well, I-"

"It's a Friday, Granger, you can't seriously claim to have too much work to do tonight, now, can you?" Draco interjected, eyebrow raised, and received a glare in return.

So perhaps he did sound a bit irritated now, but he felt horrible knowing that Hermione was trying to avoid him. He just wanted to talk it over with her so that they could go back to enjoying each other's company as they had before... Or move forward and enjoy each other's company in different ways, but he wasn't about to voice these thoughts to her just yet. He wasn't sure what he'd expected, but it certainly wasn't this. After all, he had never in his life considered Hermione scared of anything, but she was almost taking the coward's way out of this situation by pretending as if nothing had happened, and trying to avoid him at all costs, if the owl he had sent her with an apology that went unanswered was any indication. He thought maybe that if they'd bump into each other by accident, when she'd see him again, she'd realize there was no point avoiding each other, which was also one of the reasons for which he had happily given in to his son's pleading to be taken to the park that afternoon - he was hoping to see her.

But the rather cold welcome, the awkwardness and the obvious uncertainty she was feeling made him feel rejected, and this angered him.

Of course, he didn't realize that Hermione's uncertainty had nothing to do with wanting to reject him, and everything to do with the confusion she felt in his presence. She wasn't sure what she felt anymore, or what she thought of him. She'd thought they were just friends, but taking recent events into account, and the way that one simple kiss made her feel, she was forced to reconsider, and she wasn't quite sure what to make of it all.

"I guess I can pop by for a while, yes," she replied, seeing no other way out of the situation, but promising herself silently that she would avoid being left alone with Draco at all costs. While he thought that getting it out in the open and out of the way would help matters, she preferred to get control of her thoughts and emotions before facing Draco alone again - lest she do something stupid, like kiss him, or something.

Not that she'd ever do that, of course. That was a one off incident and would not happen again, she thought for the umpteenth time that week as she walked with them to the Apparition spot. She was still focusing on this thought when she walked through the Manor doors, as if it were a mantra that would keep her safe and would come true if she said it enough times.

"Hermione! We missed you last night, dear, they should really not be working you so hard at the Ministry! Lucius used to complain they don't let a person breathe down there while he still worked, you know, you'd have thought they'd have learned by now to let people take it a it easier these days," Narcissa greeted her.

"I am sorry about that, Narcissa, some last minute things popped up," Hermione made her excuses again, feeling worse than ever for lying. She had had work to attend to, of course, as always, but nothing so important that could not have been done today either.

"Well, it's a good thing the boys found you today then, I know they were both worried you might just Floo or Apparate home and they'd miss you," she observed, causing Hermione to shoot Draco a startled glance, only to find the blond staring intently at the fireplace in the dining room where they were just sitting down, as if he had not heard his mother's words at all.

"Really?" she asked, but Draco didn't look up, though she couldn't help but notice him turn a little red.

"Tea?" one of the house elves asked her as he appeared by her elbow.

"Yes, please," Hermione replied, for the first time letting a genuine smile grace her features since running into Draco and Tyler in the park. She always had had a soft spot for house elves, thanks to Dobby and Winky.

"I'll bring the apple pie!" Tyler announced excitedly, bouncing out of his chair and rushing off in the direction of the kitchens. Hermione noticed Narcissa and Draco exchange worried glances as Narcissa stood up as well.

"The last time he tried doing that the pie he was bringing in ended up all over the wall and one of the elves' heads," she explained. "I better help him carry it in, won't be a minute," she added, also disappearing through the door and leaving Hermione thinking that a minute was too much time anyway.

"Hermione..." Draco began, seeing his opportunity, but stopped at her raised hand and shaking head.

"Don't, there's nothing to talk about, all right? It shouldn't have happened, won't happen again, we can just go on like before the... Incident."

"Incident?" Draco raised an eyebrow. "You mean when I kissed you, and you kissed me back? Look, I think that it's pretty clear-"

"What's clear is that it won't happen again," Hermione said, the anger in her eyes matching his own. They sat there staring at one another for a moment, before the cheerful patter of Tyler's footsteps behind the door caused them to look away from each other and smile at his comical entrance, the pie he was proudly bearing unbeknownst to him supported by the magic flowing from Narcissa's wand, who was following right behind the little boy.

"Looks great, doesn't it, Hermione? I'll cut you the biggest piece!" Tyler declared, and set about doing just that, to the horror of his father when he saw the big knife he was wielding. The pie was cut without any bloody incidents, however, and when she tasted it Hermione had to admit that it was an absolutely delicious dessert. She left the Manor a few hours later feeling very full but very confused by her short private conversation with Draco. Could he have possibly meant that he wanted more than just friendship from her, that he might want to kiss her again?

And Draco, on his part, felt just as confused when he closed the door behind his guest - could he have possibly met a woman who was truly immune to his charm and his kiss?

**A/N:** Okay, so perhaps there's not so much going on in this chapter, but I needed to introduce what both Draco and Hermione were feeling after their kiss in the library. Now, in the next chapter we can get down to what they're going to do about this whole situation... Just two more chapters left, guys, so please be patient as I'll try to make them the best yet! Thanks!


	11. Week Eleven

**WEEK ELEVEN**

**A/N:** Thank you so, so much for the reviews, and again I'm sorry to make you wait! But anyways, a (belated) happy New Year to you all, I hope you enjoy this chappie. There's only one more to go after this, but I've got another Dramione idea brewing that I might give a try... Anyways, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Nope, the Wizarding World and the two main characters are not mine.

**_The beginning of wisdom is found in doubting, by doubting we come to question, and by seeking we may come upon the truth _**

**_~Pierre Abeland_**

Hermione sighed and replaced the book she had been absently flipping through back on the shelf. She had arrived in Malfoy Manor earlier than she was expected, and found no one home. The house elves, knowing her, though, let her into the house and she decided to browse through the wealth of the Malfoy library while waiting for the family to return from their shopping trip to Diagon Alley. Her thoughts kept straying to the last time she'd been in the Manor, though, and how they'd ended things on an awkward note with Draco. She wasn't really sure what she d been expecting, but she was convinced now that he wasn't entirely prepared to give up the notion of them dating. What worried her most, though, was that she wasn't certain she wanted him to.

Her brain was telling not to get involved with him, with someone like him. And then there was the whole situation with Tyler, Hermione didn't want to complicate things for anyone. But at the same time she could hardly ignore how she felt around Draco, how she was hypersensitive to his presence, always aware of how close he was to her. She knew she was attracted to him, she like him, but she was trying to convince herself that she was not falling in love with him.

Despite the fact that he seemed to be the only constant presence in her mind recently.

"That's quite and interesting book that you just discarded, Ms. Granger," a gentle and unfamiliar voice caused her to spin around, wand drawn, still an old reflex from the war.

Hermione found herself face to face with a ghost she had never seen before, a ghost of a woman from maybe the eighteenth century, judging by her clothes.

"Excuse me, but do I know you? I wasn't aware that there were any ghost living at the Manor," she observed cautiously, putting her wand away again.

Marianna let the corners of her mouth rise up a bit sourly at this.

"I haven't quite made my presence known, Ms Granger. I grew used to hiding when Lucius Malfoy still lived here, he wouldn't have accepted my presence, and then it seemed easier to remain hidden. Until now, that is. I'm very sorry for the interruption of a few weeks ago, I always was rather clumsy at the entire ghost 'apparition' thing, you see."

"That was you?" Hermione exclaimed, remembering with a blush the intimate moment she had shared with Draco before it had been interrupted by the untimely crash Marianna had caused.

"Indeed," the ghost smiled. "And I must say, it is a relief to see the young Malfoy engaging in a relationship with such an intelligent and attractive with as yourself."

"Oh, we're not... I mean, he's not..." Hermione waved her hands as she tried to explain, flustered.

The situation did strike her as rather funny, discussing her 'relationship' with Draco with one of his ancestors who she'd never seen nor even heard of before. If the subject discussed didn't strike her momentarily incoherent she would probably be asking numerous questions concerning the ghosts past and her current presence at the Manor, but all her mind could focus on at this precise moment was that everyone - excluding Harry and Ron, of course - seemed to think that were there a real romantic involvement between Draco and herself, that would be entirely all right. So what exactly was stopping her from...?

No, Hermione, no! You promised yourself you wouldn't go there!

"I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name," she said instead, rather more coldly than she had intended to.

"Marianna Malfoy," Marianna replied. "The Hogwarts ghosts speak very highly of you, Ms Granger. It will do the Malfoy family good to have someone like you contribute to the bloodline."

Hermione narrowed her eyes, realizing that the ghost was trying to embarrass her further to possibly get some kind of confession out of her concerning her feelings for Draco. Sneaky - a typical Malfoy.

"Like I said, there's nothing going on between us. We're merely friends."

You liar, she saw you the other day in the library, who are you trying to fool, Hermione?

Marianna raised an eyebrow in a disbelieving manner, but refrained from commenting. She could see that the young witch in front of her was fully in denial. She was not about to give up, however; she was still convinced that Draco and Hermione were perfect for one another and she intended to convince Hermione of this.

"Do you know how I met my husband, Ms Granger?" she asked, and continued after a mute shake of the head from Hermione. "He was working undercover for the Ministry, working on some case involving Muggles. I did not know his true identity at first, we met at a ball in London. He was a stranger to our community, but he worked his way up our social ladder quickly. It wasn't long before he was courting me, before we fell in love and he asked me to marry him.

And then I discovered that he was a wizard. I am a Muggleborn, you see, just as you are, Ms Granger. Nobody knows this, my husband's contacts in the Ministry allowed him to forge my family tree and pretend that I came from a long line of Purebloods, but that I was a Squib. His parents were not happy with the match, of course, but they learned to tolerate me with time. After all, Squib is not nearly so bad as Muggleborn, isn't that correct?

I was virtually cut off from my family from the day we married. It would have been too easy to figure out the truth were I seen in the company of Muggles too often, you see. I sacrificed everything for him, and I never regretted it one bit. He reminds me of young Mr Malfoy, in fact. He had the same unusual tolerance and love that your friend does, so uncharacteristic of most Malfoys."

Hermione stared, shocked at this revelation. A Malfoy married a Muggleborn in the eighteenth century? A Pureblood raise din the belief of Purebloods being the best broke that unspoken law?

"Why are you telling me this?" Hermione asked suspiciously, although she already suspected the answer.

"Because I am quite sure that Mr Malfoy is completely smitten with you, Ms Granger, just like my husband was with me. You would be foolish to ignore such a feeling, especially when you reciprocate it yourself. Tell me, how likely is it that you will find true love in your life? Statistically, that is quite hard to come by. It would the the height of stupidity to throw love away when it is knocking at your door, and you seem to be the perfect match, if what Tyler tells me and what I saw is any indication."

"You talked to Tyler about this? How dare-"

"I merely listened, Ms Granger, as Tyler expressed the desire to see you and Mr Malfoy permanently joined together. He too seems to think you would make a perfect couple."

Hermione glowered at the ghost, unsure of what to say, but still angry that the stranger had discussed such private matters with a child. With Tyler. She thought that perhaps Marianna had fed him such ludicrous ideas, of her and Draco together, but then remembered the innocent comments Tyler had made alluding to them, to her, she recalled how much he enjoyed her company, how happy he seemed when they were together. She knew he already partly thought of her as a mother figure.

And she knew there was truth in Marianna's words; she and Draco were attracted to each other, at the very least. She did like him, if she were honest with herself, probably more than she had ever liked any other man. But this did not mean she and Draco would be together. There were so many other factors that came into the equation other than their feelings and...

"Hermione?" she heard his voice from the corridor and turned to see the handle turn as the door opened. When she glanced back at the spot where Marianna was, all she was was a silver shimmer and then nothing.

And then she realized how her heart had skipped a beat when she heard his voice. The smile that spread across her face at the sight, despite the turmoil her mind was currently in, was out of her control, too. Whether she wanted to or not, she knew she was falling in love with Draco Malfoy, not matter how much she may deny the fact to others and herself.

And when he hugged her hello, she was quite sure the expression in his eyes mirrored hers perfectly.

**A/N:** Right, so how's that for you? Any thoughts, comments, criticisms or love please leave in the form of a review XD And the last update will come shortly, I've almost finished writing it now. Cheerio!


	12. Week Twelve

**WEEK TWELVE**

**A/N:** So, here is the final chappie of my short story. Hope you guys enjoy it, and thank you so much for sticking with me the whole time. I know I've been annoying with the irregular updates and all, but you guys have been absolutely wonderful. Cookies for all once you're done with this!

**Disclaimer:** Need I say this yet again? Still haven't gotten in contact with J.K Rowling to buy Draco off her, but I promise to let you know as soon as I will!

_**Once in a while, in the middle of ordinary life, love gives us a fairytale **_

_**~Anonymous**_

"When are Daddy and Hermione going to say they love each other?" Tyler asked Narcissa innocently, sipping his hot chocolate one afternoon as they waited for the two people in question to arrive and join them for tea.

"Soon, I should hope," Narcissa replied. "They need to realize it themselves, Tyler, so remember, don't mention a word to either of them.

Tyler nodded, finishing off his hot chocolate. He was sure his father would say something soon - Draco had even asked him about how he'd feel if Draco and Hermione were more than friends the other night. Tyler had of course been overjoyed, though he hadn't told his grandmother about this new development in Draco's feelings. His father had asked him not to, after all, and Tyler had always been told to keep his word.

Draco had had some errands to run in Diagon Alley, and he told Hermione he'd pick her up from work before going to Malfoy Manor for tea. He had not mentioned, of course, that Tyler would not be accompanying him but that he'd wait for them at the Manor instead. He doubted that she'd be that happy if she knew he'd be arriving alone, and with a bunch of red roses at that.

"Where's Tyler?" Hermione asked, spotting Draco waiting for her at the park where they'd arranged to meet.

"You really need to stop asking me that question every time we're alone," Draco smiled, giving her the flowers, which she accepted with a blush.

"Right, sorry," she smiled sheepishly, half her face invisible behind the deep red flowers in her hands. She was having a hard time accepting her feelings for Draco, although she'd decided to stop denying them. She couldn't help feeling like a nervous teenager with a crush when she was around him, and ignoring that only made it worse. Besides, Draco was not making it any easier for her, and after her meeting with Marianna Hermione decided to just give in and see what happened next.

"Don't worry, I can think of a way you can make it up to me," Draco winked and stepped closer. "There's no Tyler to barge in on us now, so there's nothing to worry about."

And before she could protest, he closed the gap between them and kissed her softly. Hermione felt all her arguments against liking Draco melt away completely.

"We should probably go," she observed breathlessly when Draco stopped turning her knees to jelly.

"Fine. But you're staying the night," Draco announced, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the Apparition point, not giving her a chance to protest.

"We'll see about that," Hermione raised an eyebrow challengingly when Draco put an arm around her and side-Apparated with her to the Manor.

"You took aaaaages!" Tyler complained, grinning at the same time as he hugged Hermione and then quite literally started climbing Draco, stopping only when his father picked him up and sat him securely on his shoulders.

"Hermione was late working," Draco fibbed.

"Yes, um... Narcissa, do you have a vase I could put these flowers in for the time being please?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, of course, one of the house elves can get that for you," Narcissa smiled and clicked her fingers, summoning one of the elves to do her bidding. "We've got tea already laid out."

"And I helped make the muffins!" Tyler announced proudly to Hermione, wriggling to have his father put him down and puffing out his chest as he led her to the dining room.

"Really? That's wonderful! I used to help my mother make muffins too when I was your age..." Hermione's voice was tinged with nostalgia when she said this.

"How my son got such strange ideas as to making his own food and playing in the kitchen with the elves I don't know," Draco shook his head in mock indignation and worry.

"It's a good thing!" Hermione defended her stance, taking her seat and finding Draco sitting down right next to her.

"Right, Daddy, it's so fun!" Tyler agreed with Hermione, sitting down opposite her.

"Well, it seems I'm proven wrong then, against the two of you I don't have the chance of arguing any point," Draco shrugged, his hand finding Hermione's under the table.

She glanced at him, hoping to convey with that glance her discomfort with the situation considering Tyler was in the room, but Draco ignored her. And although she was sure Narcissa must have noticed the fact that the two young people opposite her had one hand each under the table for the entire meal, she didn't say anything.

"You should show Hermione that Quidditch book you bought yesterday, I'm sure she'd enjoy that," Draco suggested once they'd finished eating Tyler's delicious muffins.

The suggestion earned him a kick from Hermione, whom he very well knew was not a fan of Quidditch, but she said nothing, not wanting to disappoint the boy. After all, it would be a book, so even if it was about Quidditch, how bad could it be?

"Yess!" Tyler rushed out of the room, only to return five seconds later with a sheepish expression on his face. "Can someone help me? Gran hid it on the top shelf in my room last night so I'd get some sleep and I can't get it down by myself."

Amid the loud laughter from the three adults, Narcissa rose gracefully from the table and followed her grandson up to his bedroom.

"So much fro being discreet," Hermione observed drily to Draco when they were alone, indicating their entwined hands as she turned to face him.

Instead of answering, he kissed her again. Surprising both of them, Hermione kissed him back with just as much passion as he was expressing. Leaning back and breathing deeply, Draco looked at her curiously.

"Perhaps you really should stay the night," he suggested. "I do have a king size bed, you know, and you can get some of your stuff here tomorrow, and.."

"Whoa, slow down!" Hermione laughed. "We're not even properly dating yet!"

"That's true. Dating takes too long though," Draco smirked as an idea suddenly occurred to him. "We already know each other and I'm already in love with you and I'm quite sure you feel the same way. Tyler need a mother and I'd love you to move in. Why don't we just get married?"

Hermione stared at him, speechless. A couple of hours ago she wasn't entirely sure she would let herself indulge in falling in love with this man, no matter how much she wanted to, how much she had wanted to for the past few weeks. And now he was... Proposing?

"We can't just-"

"Why not?" Draco asked, leaning in again and kissing her neck, causing Hermione to breathe in sharply.

"That's not fair."

"What isn't?" He sucked on her neck lightly.

"You doing that when I'm supposed to be answering a question about marrying you!"

"It's not supposed to be, I want you to decide according to what you feel, not what you think," he explained, resting his forehead against hers. "So?"

She remained silent, her eyes locked on his. She knew she was over thinking this too much, but she couldn't just ignore everything and everyone and act on her feelings and emotions, which of course would lead her to falling head over heels in love, even more than she felt now with her heart beating wildly, and marrying him, and living with him, and with Tyler, and...

"Hermione?" Draco was beginning to get slightly worried by her lack of a response.

She remained silent, but only because she was busy kissing him, giving him all the response he required.

**A/N:** So how did you like that? I've got a story or two already forming in my mind so hopefully I'll be back soon with new plots and ideas, but this is it for Effects. Thanks to all those who stuck with me and didn't give up on me and kept the encouragement flowing - _CheshireCat23, SnowCharms, Wake-up Soon, nature love 95, Readerforlife, Loufoca-Granger_ to name but a few, and everyone else who reviewed. Hopefully see you again soon!


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